Health Issues among Women Cotton Pickers from Pesticide Exposure and Use of Protective Measures

Abstract

The current study investigated the social problems and health issues faced by women cotton pickers in selected districts of Punjab, Pakistan. Cotton picking is an intensive activity performed mainly by women and is considered the most important source of livelihood and income generation in rural areas. The paper used cross-sectional data collected via face-to-face interviews with female cotton pickers in 2023 from Vehari and Multan districts. The study employed a probit model and other statistical techniques to estimate the factors affecting women cotton pickers' adoption of protective measures and their exposure to health hazards. Results indicated that more than half of the respondents (56%) among young cotton pickers did not use any protective measures at the cotton-picking stage. Health issues reported by young and elderly cotton pickers, in descending order, included eye irritation, skin infections or rashes, headache, flu &fever, cough, abdominal pain, and sleeplessness. The Probit estimation revealed that older age, prior experience in cotton picking, access to formal education, and knowledge of pesticide use were positively associated with the adoption of protective measures. On the other hand, variables such as age, access to transportation, adverse effects of pesticides, picking experience, long working hours, illiteracy, frequent illness, reliance on traditional remedies, and seeking medical treatment were found to be negatively associated with the use of such protective measures. The study recommends strengthening occupational health training, improving access to protective equipment, and enhancing rural healthcare outreach for women cotton pickers.